Before co-founding ion interactive, Justin Talerico was the founder and CEO of ion, an all-digital marketing communications firm for clients such as Samsung, Siemens and Bliss Spa. Prior to that, he was the creative director for the Fairweather Group, a travel and hospitality conglomerate with Caribbean resorts, a national travel magazine and several travel agencies. A passionate user-advocate in post-click marketing, Justin has written for the American Marketing Association, E-Commerce Times, iMediaConnection, .net magazine (UK), DMNews and at Post-Click Marketing Blog. He is a professional member of the AIGA as well as the Usability Professionals Association.
06.29.10
Moving Upstream in Interaction Design
If you have a degree in what field is it? Bachelor of Science in advertising from the University of Florida.
What’s the best site you’ve seen lately? What’s so great about it? I find very few sites to be engaging enough for me to characterize as “great”; I think our own site is muddled (at best) and that’s generally my opinion of most others. I use plenty of them, but view them as a necessary evil through which I must pass. This sounds bad, doesn’t it? After all, I’m the CEO of a company that specializes in Web experiences, but I believe that the most meaningful interactions take place around but not within a site. I see Web sites as a dying breed of generalist that must give way to more specific forms of interaction. More relevant engagements take place in pages and spaces that are much more targeted to user intent than the one-size-fits-all; this movement can already be seen in social engagement and post-click marketing, where relevant micro experiences create more affinity, more engagement, better branding, higher conversion rates and more revenue.
If you were to change professions, what would you choose to do? I love what I do, so this is a difficult question. I think that moving upstream in interaction design would be stimulating. The way people participate with Web sites and applications ultimately begins with the hardware and software that precedes my layer of influence. To affect that primary interaction in industrial design and human factors would be great. Apple has certainly shown that attention to that layer is good for business, good for users and good for aesthetics. The caveat for me would be not to lose the influence on the ultimate user experience layer where I play now. So to gain end-to-end impact would be great, but to only participate upstream wouldn't interest me. Like I said, I love what I do.
Design or technology? Which is more important? Why? Design. Because regardless of the tool, the ultimate success or failure of online marketing is still in its messaging and visualization. Everything speaks a language and the definition and articulation of that language forms a seductive bond with users. As creators of these bonds, we need tools that free us from “how” and focuses us on “what.” The mantra of our tool, LiveBall, is to let non-technical people focus on what they create. That’s all that’s important. Of course, without a tool to take care of “how,” what gets created is irrelevant because it can’t get to work.
From where do your best ideas originate? 1. Behaviors, 2. My kids and 3. Failure. I’m passionate about actionable design. The way people behave within, and following, an online experience is all that matters. That’s my primary source of ideas: What are real people doing and why are they doing it? My children, a girl and a boy, are 7 and 11 and far more imaginative and inventive than any adult I know. When they “blue sky” ideas, it’s incredibly liberating. I’ve gotten tremendous clarity from listening to them. Finally, my own failures, ion’s failures and other people’s failures are very positive for me; it’s a great way to put a mental “no” beside an idea and brainstorm others. Change is good and failure is a powerful motivator for it.
How do you overcome a creative block? I have to get away. Distraction is the best way for me, but it has to be complete. Ideally, the distraction is an alternative form of creative—maybe I'll play the drums, shoot some photos or read. If that doesn’t work, I’ll turn everything I know upside down and start from the other side of whatever the problem is.
In one word describe how you feel when beginning a new project? Optimistic.
What well-known site is most desperately in need of a redesign? I’m struggling with this question. I think many of today’s sites are dinosaurs. This certainly applies to most of the well-known ones. They’re like digital versions of urban sprawl—unchecked, seemingly random growth that spread more and more bad vibes with each passing day. Megasites are wrong because people interact with only a fraction of what’s there; they try to be all things to all people, all at one time, but that’s impossible and it’s a disservice to everyone. It’s neither sustainable nor brandable. They all need to rethink how they appeal to disparate people. Right now, they’re careening toward a brick wall of complexity.
Do you have creative outlets other than Web design? I love to cook, shoot fine art photography and play the drums.
What music are you listening to right now? We listen to Megashuffle.com in the office. It’s a bizarre, eclectic mix that seems to offend everyone equally. Personally, I’m a big Foo Fighters fan.
What product/gadget can you not live without? It’s a toss-up between a corkscrew and an iPad. Let’s go with the iPad. I was an iPhone early adopter and after that I thought nothing could have as much of an impact on my information consumption. I was pretty skeptical of the magical iPad and waited for the 3G model before I got one. It has truly changed everything (again) for me. Things I used to do on my laptop have moved to it and things I used to do on my iPhone have moved to it. I take notes on it in meetings. I keep my wine cellar inventory on it. I love it. And it’s hard to describe why. So maybe it is magical.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve bought online? We buy everything online—furniture, groceries, wine, cameras, appliances, cheese.
What’s your favorite quote? “You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” —Steve Jobs
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Gain experience in as many specialties as possible to round out your understanding of the moving parts. Most importantly, find the thing that ignites your passion. When you tap into that energy, work becomes play and you enjoy every minute of it. Once you’re in that mode, you’re destined to do great things.
What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your career? That I didn’t know everything.